Lightning/Thunder Delay

[Altor]

NWS Lightning Safety Overview

Summary: Lightning is dangerous. With common sense, you can greatly increase your safety and the safety of those you are with. At the first clap of thunder, go to a large building or fully enclosed vehicle and wait 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before you to go back outside.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Altor

NWS Lightning Safety Overview

This exact logic killed 2 kids and put about 25 in the hospital during a junior high school football practice. Get a friggin meter folks.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

This exact logic killed 2 kids and put about 25 in the hospital during a junior high school football practice. Get a friggin meter folks.

Where? When?

Refrence article?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Where? When?

Refrence article?

Crap, now you're going to make me dig. This was in Dallas about 3 years ago. Will get back to you with the article.

I don't know for sure if this was it or not ... seems like the date is longer ago than my memory, and I'm sure that there were 2 deaths in the one I remember. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps...ng-death_x.htm

When the one I remember happened, it was discussed at meetings afterward several times.

[Altor]

And there was no warning? There was no thunder at all before the one that struck at practice?

Note that NOAA doesn't give any recommendation about "flash to bang" counting techniques.

When to Seek Safe Shelter: Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from the area where it is raining. That's about the distance you can hear thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek safe shelter immediately.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Crap, now you're going to make me dig. This was in Dallas about 3 years ago. Will get back to you with the article.

I don't know for sure if this was it or not ... seems like the date is longer ago than my memory, and I'm sure that there were 2 deaths in the one I remember. USATODAY.com - Notes: Prep player dies after lightning strike

When the one I remember happened, it was discussed at meetings afterward several times.

Thanks - somehow seems like it would have been bigger news.

[ozzy6900]

You can argue about meters all you want but most leagues that I work with will not spend the money for a meter. What needs to be changed is the stupidity of coaches and parents who cannot understand that lightning causes thunder. In the daylight hours, you normally hear thunder long before you see the lightning (here in CT). This year, our association adopted the 30 minute rule for all games that our umpires officiate. There is a 30 minute wait after thunder or the sighting of lightning. If another bolt is seen or clap of thunder heard, the clock starts again. What pisses me off is hearing the idiot coaches and parents complaining that there is no lightning (bit the thunder is rolling like a rock slide), so why are we stopping the game?

I was doing an evaluation at a JV game last month when we heard thunder and the officials stopped the game as our association mandated. About 15 minutes in, the coaches and parents started getting on the officials. I took out my cell phone and brought up the radar and showed the officials that the cell was moving away and a small rain cell was going to pass to the North. The officials were just about to restart the game after the 30 minute wait but that tiny rain cell ran into a cold front and blew up into a full blown storm in a matter of minutes. Without warning, a bolt of lightning hit the cell tower to our East and the officials called the game. We had to scramble out of there fast as hell as it got very bad, very quick. The way the storm blew up, if those players were on the field, we would have been calling ambulances as bolts were hitting all around us.

I have had the unfortunate experience of watching a good friend get blown apart when a bold of lightning hit him as we were running off the beach. We didn't know much about the effects of lightning other than it was bright, it looked cool raking across the sky and it caused thunder. What more did we need to know? We were only 8 years old and invincible!?!

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

What pisses me off is hearing the idiot coaches and parents complaining that there is no lightning (bit the thunder is rolling like a rock slide), so why are we stopping the game?(

That's the best reason to have a meter, imo. No one argues when the alarm goes off -- they just clear the field and wait for the "all clear."

That said, they aren't perfect and will give both false positives and false negatives. The latter is more problematic, so we must use some common sense -- I've stopped games even when the meter hasn't gone off.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Thanks - somehow seems like it would have been bigger news.

How could it get any bigger than USA Today?

[johnnyg08]

I'm not saying this to be difficult or disagree with anybody, but how accurate are those meters? And what exactly does the meter measure? I guess the nerd in me is curious.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by mbyron

How could it get any bigger than USA Today?

You mean loke CNN or ESPN or even our local paper?